Issue 62 - Can the price be right?

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Can the price be right?

In this issue we wanted to look act the effect of discounting. Who better qualified to pass comment
than drinkers themselves. So we put two questions to members of the WhiskyMag.com forum about how they view brands that had been discounted.

Q:Does discounting affect how the customer views a brand and its heritage?

LB:Alot of it depends on the customer the brand is marketing to. Discounting can be used in many ways and to many people doesn't affect the impression of quality of the brand or distillery.

If the brand is trying to expand this can be a tactic to get more customers or a different group of customers. The discounting may just be the result of overproduction 10 to 15 years ago. The store that has the product may just be trying to clear the shelves and it has nothing to do with the brand.

It is impossible for the consumer to know why the brand is discounted. This argument can always be countered because there are a lot of people that consider higher priced items to be a higher quality items and hence more desirable.

It will be impossible to change their minds even if they try the discounted whisky and like it. These are not the people that most distilleries want as a core group because they are a very limited and select group of people and unless you focus all your marketing on them you will eventually loose your sales to another brand that does market to them.

MM: In the United States, the middle class here has shown a growing interest in luxury goods for non-luxury prices. Whether it be jewellry, designer clothing, luxury cars, or premiu...